An accident, on local roads near the Nurburgring, has claimed the life of Lexus' chief test engineer / driver, Hiromu Naruse.

An accident, on local roads near the Nurburgring, has claimed the life of legedary Toyota chief test engineer / driver, Hiromu Naruse.

While details are limited, the 67-year old was piloting a Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition when it crashed into a BMW 3-Series. Both cars were traveling in an area with a speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph), but the crash was violent enough that Naruse's body had be pulled from the wreckage with the 'Jaws of Life' (aka rescue scissors). Two test drivers, age 34 and 33 years old, in the BMW were also injured, with one in critical condition.

Naruse started his career with Toyota in 1963, when he joined the Vehicle Evaluation and Engineering Division. Over the years, he played in important role in developing the Toyota 2000GT and the Lexus LFA.